Club House
by Lingua Dii
Summary: Cartman had a good idea - build a club house for the boys' friends back in South Park. Rated T for language.
1. Friendship

Kenny/Kyle as usual, tons of storytelling. Read and enjoy. Sorry for the crappy summary.

* * *

><p>Kenny, Kyle, Stan and Cartman had been and would always be best friends. They grew up together, stood together when it really mattered and did everything together. However, as they grew up, their tastes changed.<br>As children, they used to play together and pull pranks on other kids. Nowadays, they went to strip clubs and bars together. They were happy to be able to do "grown-up stuff" now, but they would never say it out loud, as it would seem "childish".  
>Unsurprisingly, Kenny was the one who drank the most of the group. He had already tried every street drug and alcoholic drink before he even turned 14; he was just happy to be able to do the latter with his friends now.<br>Cartman and Stan, on the other hand, knew when to stop... most of the time.  
>Kyle, as the most careful one of the group, didn't smoke at all and didn't drink nearly as much as the rest of them. He figured that <em>someone<em> had to drive everyone home when they could barely walk in a straight line without help, although only Kenny used to drink that much, since his parents didn't notice it anyway. Of course, if the other boys' parents knew what they were up to, they'd kill them, so they used to sneak out of their houses when everyone else was asleep and drove to the next town over, where nobody would recognize them.  
>They had almost been discovered a few times, but they learned from their mistakes and were extremely careful when sneaking out and driving away.<p>

Kyle: Come on, fatass, get in!  
>Eric: Alright, alright... Hey, why does Kenny always ride in the front?<br>Kenny: Because I'm awesome like that. Or because Kyle always picks me up first.  
>Eric: Why is that? Do you guys need to spend some time... <em>alone<em>?  
>Kyle: No, it's because the next town over is in the opposite direction of Kenny's house. It saves us some time. That's why you're always last.<br>Stan: Guys, I don't mean to interrupt your discussion with... you know, important things, but can we move? It's Friday night; our parents won't notice if we stay passed out in bed all day tomorrow.  
>Kyle: <em>Your<em> parents won't notice.  
>Eric: Well, I said it before and I'll say it again – Your mom is a stupid bi-<br>Kenny: Cartman, shut the fuck up. I don't want to spend half the trip arguing about this stuff. Let's just go.  
>Eric: Oh, look, standing up for your boy-<br>Stan: Cartman, seriously, shut the fuck up. Come on, Kyle, let's go.

Kyle drove away, with Cartman still making snide remarks every once in a while throughout the whole trip, although the other boys ignored him.

* * *

><p>They arrived at their usual bar a few minutes later, sat down and ordered some drinks. They talked about things from their childhood, their parents, school; each time preceded by another round of drinks, most of which were drunk by Kenny.<p>

Kyle: So, what do you think everyone else is doing back in South Park?  
>Kenny: Sleeping.<br>Stan: Yeah.  
>Eric: You know, it's getting boring just doing this with you guys. We should throw a party with our friends back in South Park or something.<p>

The other boys looked at each other in disbelief – Cartman had had a good idea for the first time in his life.

Eric: Well? We could use Kenny's house, since his parents don't really give a shit.  
>Kenny: <em>I<em> do.  
>Stan: We <em>could<em> just build a sort of club house ourselves. Nobody goes to Stark's Pond anymore, right?  
>Kyle: Yeah...<br>Stan: All we have to do is get some construction stuff, call some of our friends and it'll be ready in no time.  
>Kyle: How much time is "no time"?<br>Stan: ...Couple of weeks, tops. But it'll be worth it.  
>Kenny: Who could we even talk to? You <em>do<em> know they'd have to keep it secret, don't you? And what about school?  
>Eric: There's Butters and... maybe Token?<br>Kyle: We can talk about this out tomorrow.  
>Stan: Kyle's right... Shit, it's getting late. We'd better go back before our parents wake up and realize we're missing.<br>Kenny: We still have time for another round, right?  
>Kyle: Yeah, if you wanna get left behind. My mom will tear my heart out if she finds out I'm not there.<br>Kenny: Alright, alright... I get it. Let's go.

The boys payed for their drinks and quickly left the bar.

* * *

><p>Kyle dropped everyone off at their houses. First Cartman, then Stan, now Kenny.<p>

Kenny: Thanks for driving us, Kyle.  
>Kyle: You're welcome.<br>Kenny: I can't believe Cartman actually had a good idea.  
>Kyle: It <em>was<em> surprising.  
>Kenny: Well, I gotta go now. You should go too.<br>Kyle: Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow, OK?  
>Kenny: Sure. Good night.<p>

Kyle watched Kenny struggling to walk straight back to his house and, after making sure he made it, drove back to his house, parked the car exactly where it was and went upstairs to his room. He lied down on his bed and started thinking about Cartman's idea.  
>The more he thought about it the more it seemed impossible. First, who would they get to help them? Butters was terrified of his parents, the girls and the Goth Kids wouldn't help at all... the only kid who could actually help was Token. He could buy the stuff they needed, and he'd probably help them build it too.<br>There was also the matter of making sure their parents didn't know about it, but since nobody went near Stark's Pond anymore, it was perfect. Kyle eventually fell asleep, imagining what it would look like once it was finished.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, the boys' parents woke up and found them sleeping in their beds. They didn't pay much attention to it, though, since it was the weekend.<br>Stan was the first of the boys to wake up. He glanced over at the clock on his nightstand.

"_10 AM... Damn, I've been sleeping for a bit longer than I thought. Well, time to get up._"

He got up, trying not to move around too much, and dragged himself to the nearest bathroom.  
>A few minutes later, Stan remembered Cartman's idea, went back to his room and started writing down his thoughts – Who they could talk to, what the building should look like, etc.<p>

* * *

><p>Cartman was the second boy to wake up, just a few minutes after Stan. He noticed the faint smell of breakfast in the air and ran downstairs to get it.<p>

Liane: Oh, hi, Eric. I saw you sleeping, but I didn't want to wake you up.  
>Eric: Hey, mom. Thanks for that. Where's breakfast?<br>Liane: It's right over there.  
>Eric: Thanks.<p>

A few years ago Cartman learned how to be genuinely polite; at least while he was around his mother. He was still a dick to his friends, but they didn't mind. If he started acting nice, _then_ they would be concerned.

* * *

><p>Kyle was the third to wake up, one hour after Cartman. Although he didn't drink as much as the other boys, driving in the middle of the night still took a lot out of him. He noticed his brother was using his computer, despite the fact that he had told him dozens of times not to.<p>

Kyle: Ike, get off my computer.  
>Ike: One sec...<br>Kyle: Now!  
>Ike: Alright, alright... I'm going...<p>

"_Fucking Ike... Cartman must be glad he doesn't have to deal with this shit._"

* * *

><p>It was already past 1 PM, but Kenny was still sleeping. He was finally woken up by a phone call. He didn't want to get up, but his ring tone was annoying him. He picked up the phone and saw it was Kyle.<p>

Kenny: Kyle...  
>Kyle: Sorry, did I wake you up?<br>Kenny: Kinda.  
>Kyle: I should call again later.<br>Kenny: Well, I'm awake now, so go ahead.  
>Kyle: I just wanted to let you know that we're meeting over at Stan's in about thirty minutes.<br>Kenny: What for?  
>Kyle: You know, to talk about the idea Cartman had yesterday.<br>Kenny: Right.  
>Kyle: ...Do you want me to pick you up?<br>Kenny: Thanks, but I'm alright.  
>Kyle: Alright, I'll see you later then.<br>Kenny: OK. Bye.

Kenny put his phone down. He didn't hear any noise coming from the rest of the house, which was unusual, but he payed no attention to it and dragged himself to the bathroom.  
>A few minutes later, when he went downstairs to get some food, he noticed that his parents weren't there.<p>

Kenny: Kevin, where's mom and dad?  
>Kevin: They went out.<p>

"_That explains the lack of noise._"

Kenny: ...Wait, did they go together?  
>Kevin: Yeah. I was surprised too. Hey, why did you only get up now?<br>Kenny: You know, it's the weekend. I just thought I'd sleep for a couple more hours.  
>Kevin: It's way past 1 PM.<br>Kenny: Am I being interrogated here or something?  
>Kevin: No, no...<p>

"_I wonder if Stan has to endure this crap from his sister..._"

* * *

><p>45 minutes later, the boys had already decided who they were going to talk to. Kyle talked about the idea he came up with before he fell asleep, and everyone else agreed. Stan showed his drawings, which everyone also liked. Now they just had to wait for Kenny to arrive.<p>

Eric: We could just get things ready ourselves and talk to Kenny later.  
>Kyle: He'll be here. Just give him a little more time.<br>Eric: I'm not saying we should keep him out of it, we should just try to move things along.  
>Stan: Cartman's got a point. If we're gonna finish a project like this we need to start now.<br>Kyle: And waiting a few more minutes is gonna kill you? Seriously, you guys need to learn some patience.  
>Stan: Fine...<p>

Kenny arrived a few minutes later, just as Stan and Cartman were about to get things started without him.

Kenny: Sorry I'm late, guys. I... lost track of time. So, how is the plan going?  
>Eric: About damned time! Listen, we're gonna get Token to help us with money for the stuff we need and then we're gonna get Tweek and Butters to help build it.<br>Kenny: Are you sure Token will help us?  
>Stan: Of course he will! Token's our friend.<br>Kenny: Well, if you're sure, we should get started then.  
>Kyle: Yeah. We'll go talk to Token; Cartman, you can go talk to Tweek and Stan, you go talk to Butters.<br>Eric: Alright. Let's go. We'll meet later at Stark's Pond.

"_No comment about the fact that Kyle and I are going together?_"

* * *

><p>The boys went their separate ways, talked to the people they had to and regrouped as planned.<br>The first group to arrive was Cartman's. Butters was really excited to help, so he wanted to hear more about it. Cartman told Butters to calm down, as Stan, Tweek, Kenny, Kyle and Token would be there soon.  
>Stan and Tweek arrived shortly after. Tweek was as excited as Butters, if not more, but that was his normal state. Stan showed his drafts to Butters, who got even more excited. He immediately started drawing more precise blueprints while they waited for Kenny, Kyle and Token.<br>Kenny and Kyle arrived almost fifteen minutes afterwards, but Token wasn't with them.

Eric: What took you guys so long? And where's Token?  
>Kenny: We were trying to convince Token to help us. It wasn't easy, but we did it.<br>Stan: And where is he?  
>Kyle: He couldn't come with us. But don't worry, he said yes.<br>Leopold: That's awesome!

"_He's way too excited about this. It's kinda creepy._"

Leopold: So, when can we get started?  
>Kyle: We still have to wait for Token to order the stuff we need, then we have to wait for it to arrive, but we should be done in three weeks. We could work faster, but then our parents would start asking questions.<br>Leopold: Right... Wait, don't you think our parents will notice large trucks driving into town with construction material?  
>Kenny: Nah, we told them to take a detour. Nobody will notice.<br>Eric: Are you ladies gonna chat all day or can we start picking a spot to build on?  
>Stan: Cartman's right; let's go.<p>

After a long time, the boys finally decided to build on the far side of the lake. They went back into town and to their respective houses, still discussing ideas.

* * *

><p>Two weeks later, they had already started building their club house. There was a lot of work that needed to be done, but they already had everything they needed – They had a blueprint, they had all the materials they needed, they had learned how to build something that wouldn't collapse when more than three people stood on it, etc.<p>

* * *

><p>Two more weeks went by and the boys had finished building their club house. It had couches, tables, a small "bar area", windows, fire extinguishers (per Kyle's request, just in case), a stereo... the only thing they didn't have was a bathroom, but they were working on it. They even managed to acquire a generator so they could use small appliances.<br>The boys just stared at it in awe. They couldn't believe they had actually built something like this.

Leopold: This turned out better than I expected.  
>Stan: No kidding. I can't believe we actually got all this stuff.<br>Kyle: Token was the one who got everything.  
>Token: Well, you guys are the ones who built it. I just gave you the things you needed.<br>Kyle: Still, if you hadn't helped, odds are we wouldn't have been able to build something this awesome. Thanks, Token.  
>Eric: Now we just need to plan a date and invite people to come here. We should also probably get some more drinks and food.<br>Kenny: Yeah. Otherwise you'll eat it all and everyone else will be hungry.  
>Eric: What did you say?<br>Stan: Come on, guys, chill.  
>Tweek: W-Who should w-we invite?<br>Leopold: What about Jimmy? He's cool.  
>Eric: Or...<p>

The boys discussed for a very long time before coming up with the list of guests – Jimmy, Timmy, Craig (much to Cartman's disapproval) and Clyde. Although that was a short list, along with the boys that would be eleven people, which they figured was enough. They sent short invitations to their friends and waited for the big day.

* * *

><p>That's the first chapter. It's basically a highlight of their friendship. The entire story will be four chapters long. I will start the second chapter later today.<p> 


	2. Caring

Sorry for the long delay.

* * *

><p>The big day had finally come. Token picked up Butters, Tweek, Craig and Clyde; Kyle picked up Kenny, Stan, Jimmy, Timmy and Cartman. It was hard to put all of them in the same car, but they managed to do it by putting Cartman in the front seat.<p>

Kenny: So, what did you tell your mom?  
>Kyle: Who, me?<br>Kenny: Yeah. I assume she's not blind, she must know you took her car.  
>Kyle: I... told her I was going out with some friends.<br>Kenny: And she didn't ask anything else? Like... where you were going, when you'd be back, stuff like that?  
>Kyle: She did, but my dad stepped in and told her to lay off me.<br>Stan: Your dad is either suicidal or _very_ brave.  
>Kenny: You took the words right out of my mouth.<br>Kyle: Yeah, I guess.

* * *

><p>When the boys arrived, Stan was relieved to see that their club house was still standing.<p>

Stan: I was afraid they'd discover this thing and try to tear it down.  
>Eric: Nah. We built it so far away from town nobody would think to look for it.<br>Kyle: Yeah. And we kept our parents out of it, so they don't even have any reason to go look for it. They don't even know it exists.  
>Kenny: Or maybe they do but they decided not to do anything to it.<br>Jimmy: W-Who cares? L-Let's just go i-inside, f-for fuck's s-sake.  
>Token: Jimmy's right. Come on, you won't regret it.<br>Timmy: T-Timmy!

* * *

><p>Everyone went inside and showed the four guests around. Craig and Clyde were impressed by the fact that all of this was Cartman's idea, but they wouldn't admit it to him. Enduring Cartman's egocentric personality was easier when they didn't give him anything to brag about.<br>However, Jimmy was more than happy to tell Cartman what a great idea he'd had.

Jimmy: W-Wow, Eric. I c-can't believe this w-was your i-idea.  
>Eric: Yes, well, I <em>am<em> awesome like that.

"_You're also the one who didn't lift a finger when it came to actually building it._" thought Kenny.

* * *

><p>Everyone was enjoying themselves; some were having a few drinks (mostly non-alcoholic), others were listening to some music and the rest were chatting... except one.<p>

Kyle: So, are you having fun just sitting here by yourself?  
>Kenny: I'm just resting for a bit.<br>Kyle: Are you alright?  
>Kenny: I'm fine.<br>Kyle: You look exhausted. You haven't been sleeping well, have you?

"_Why do you care so much?_"

Kenny: I'm just a bit tired. I got too excited with this "club house" thing so I didn't sleep much. I'll catch up on my sleep this weekend.  
>Kyle: Alright, if you say so...<p>

Kyle patted Kenny's shoulder, got up and left. Kenny was lying about his excitement, though. For the past two weeks, his parents had been fighting more often and longer than usual.  
>Their fighting had gotten to the point that they kept him awake all night. He was able to sleep three, maybe four hours, if he was lucky. His siblings, on the other hand, were able to sleep through it all. He could understand that his brother was able to endure it – he had been with their parents longer than anyone else, he probably listened to them fighting every single day, but his sister was younger than both of them. How did she do it?<p>

* * *

><p>Stan: What's wrong with him?<br>Kyle: Kenny's just a bit tired. He'll be fine.  
>Stan: Are you sure? He's usually the first to drink, but he's just sitting there by himself.<br>Kyle: Yeah, I'm sure. You'll see, he'll be back to out-drinking all of us in no time.  
>Stan: How much time is "no time"?<p>

Kyle smiled for a few seconds until he remembered the answer to that question.

Kyle: ...I don't know.

* * *

><p>Most of the food and drinks had been consumed already and the sun was almost completely gone. It was time to leave. However, Kenny was still just sitting alone. The other boys dismissed it, though; they knew Kenny preferred to keep his problems to himself, and they thought that he was strong enough to deal with them by himself. Only Kyle was worried about him enough to try to do something. He approached Kenny once more, this time with a small glass.<p>

Kyle: Come on, drink this. You'll feel much better.  
>Kenny: Orange juice?<br>Kyle: If you prefer we probably still have some beer left.  
>Kenny: That's alright.<p>

Kenny took a small sip and smiled at Kyle.

Kenny: ...Thanks.  
>Kyle: ...Kenny, I know there's something really bothering you. I know you're usually very quiet about your problems, but that's not good for you... You gotta talk to someone about this stuff.<br>Kenny: Kyle, I know you're just trying to be nice, but it's nothing, really.  
>Kyle: "Nothing" by your standards could be a fucking earthquake.<p>

Kenny sighed. He knew Kyle was just trying to do what friends do, but it was getting increasingly annoying.

Kenny: I'm fine. Just drop it.  
>Kyle: ...Sorry.<br>Kenny: It's OK.  
>Kyle: We should be going now. Come on, I'll drive you back home.<br>Kenny: I'd rather not get squished in the back seat again; I think I'll walk.  
>Kyle: Alright, if you say so...<p>

After Kenny finished his drink, both he and Kyle looked around and noticed they were the only ones left in the club house – everyone else was already waiting either in or by the cars. They got up and walked out, making sure everything was properly locked. Kenny was about to go into visual range of the other boys, but Kyle turned Kenny around and hugged him.

"_It's been over three seconds, now you're creeping me out._"

Kyle: ...If you ever need someone to talk to, you know where to find me.  
>Kenny: Thanks, Kyle.<p>

Kyle released Kenny and they both left. Kyle locked the door, got in his mother's car and drove away, followed by Token. Kenny waved them goodbye and started walking home, slowly.  
>He was really exhausted from lack of sleep. His legs felt like they weighed a ton and he had a throbbing headache. He was starting to think that getting squished in the back seat of Kyle's mom's car wasn't as bad as it sounded.<p>

* * *

><p>Stan was about to get in his house, when Kyle remembered he still had the club house key.<p>

Kyle: Stan, wait!  
>Stan: What is it?<br>Kyle: Can you take this key and make six more copies? Right now it's the only one and my room is kinda messy, so I'm afraid I'll lose it.  
>Eric: Why can't I take it?<br>Kyle: Maybe because you'd try to make people pay to get in or something stupid like that.  
>Eric: I would never do such a thing!<p>

"_Right._"

Kyle: So, Stan, will you take it?  
>Stan: Sure. I'll give you the copies tomorrow.<br>Kyle: Thanks.

Kyle gave the key to Cartman, who then, reluctantly, gave it to Stan. The boys said goodbye and Kyle drove away as Stan walked to his house.

* * *

><p>Kenny finally arrived at his house almost thirty minutes after he left the club house. His brother was sitting on the couch, watching TV.<p>

"_Mom and dad are probably away again._"

Kenny: Hey, Kevin.  
>Kevin: Hey.<p>

Kenny wanted to go up to his room and rest before his parents came back and started arguing again, but he needed to know a few things first.

Kenny: Do you know where mom and dad have gone to?  
>Kevin: No idea. They said they'd be back in an hour or so.<br>Kenny: Do you know where Karen is?  
>Kevin: She's at a friend's house... It's some girl from Kyle's brother's class, uh... Sally, I think.<br>Kenny: Alright, thanks.  
>Kevin: No problem.<p>

Kenny walked up the stairs to go into his room. As soon as he got there, he shut the door behind him and fell down on his bed, with his face pressed against his pillow. He didn't even bother to take off his hood. A few seconds later, he heard someone come in through the front door. He sat down on his bed and stayed in silence, thinking it was his sister. When he realized it was one of Kevin's friends, he lied back down, this time on his back. He closed his eyes and fell asleep less than two minutes later.

* * *

><p>Kenny woke up four hours later with his parents arguing in their bedroom, as usual. He couldn't understand a single word of what they were saying, but they seemed to be able to understand each other just fine. He had had enough of this. He wanted to be able to sleep one single night without waking up, either because his parents were yelling at each other or because he woke up on his own, since his brain had already become used to waking up in the middle of the night.<br>He thought about sleeping at the newly built club house, but he didn't have the key; Kyle did. He would have to sneak into Kyle's room, get the key, leave a note explaining what he did, sneak back out and try to make himself as comfortable as possible in the club house. Easy enough.  
>He wrote a short note and rushed to Kyle's house. He thought Kyle would ask questions about why he took it, but he didn't care. He needed to rest.<p>

* * *

><p>Kenny got to Kyle's faster than he thought. For some reason, he had a lot more energy than usual. He figured it was just the four hours he slept peacefully, although that wouldn't last long.<br>He went into Kyle's room and looked around, trying to find where Kyle had hid the key. Suddenly, Kyle snored loudly, which almost made Kenny scream. He glanced over at Kyle, to make sure he was still sleeping. Seeing his friend like this made Kenny forget all about the key. The sight of Kyle's face bathed in the moonlight had an almost hypnotic effect on him.

"_Kyle..._"

He pushed all the thoughts about Kyle out of his head and tried to focus on the key. He looked at a book that was sticking out and walked in its direction. However, in his haste, he didn't notice a t-shirt that had been left on the floor and tripped. Although the noise he made when he fell wasn't enough to wake up everyone in Kyle's house, it was enough to wake Kyle up. He was startled at first, but when he realized who it was, he was relieved and confused.

Kyle: ...Kenny?

"_Well, this is awkward._"

Kenny: ...Hi.  
>Kyle: What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night.<br>Kenny: I... uh... I was having some trouble sleeping.  
>Kyle: And how would breaking into my room help?<br>Kenny: I was going to borrow the club house key and sleep there.  
>Kyle: I gave it to Stan when I dropped him off. He was going to have some copies made in the morning.<br>Kenny: ...Oh.  
>Kyle: You know, you could've called first.<br>Kenny: Like you said, it's the middle of the night. I didn't want to wake you up.  
>Kyle: Well, you did.<br>Kenny: ...I'm sorry. I-I'll go.  
>Kyle: I didn't mean it like that. You can sleep here... if you want. I have a sleeping bag under my bed. It's not perfect, but it's better than going all the way to Stan's house and back.<p>

Kenny had a long list of reasons as to why this was a bad idea, but looking at Kyle's kind smile made him forget all of them.

Kenny: ...Sure.

Kyle's smile widened a bit. He got up from his bed, reached underneath it and pulled out the sleeping bag while Kenny got back on his feet. He walked over to him and handed him the sleeping bag.

Kenny: Won't your parents mind that I'm here?

"_Oh yeah. They'd fucking tear my heart out._"

Kyle: Probably not... But just in case, I'll lock the door... You can sleep for as long as you like. It's usually pretty quiet around here.  
>Kenny: ...Thanks.<p>

"_You're a good friend._"

Kyle turned around and lied back down on his bed. Kenny did the same with the sleeping bag and both boys fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Kyle was the first one to wake up, although it was almost 11 AM. He had always liked to sleep until late during the weekends. His first thought was to leave his room to get some breakfast, but he was afraid he would wake Kenny up or worse, that his parents would find out he was there in the first place. He sat on his bed, looked at Kenny and smiled. He was happy to be able to help him, knowing just how screwed up his life had been.<p>

Kenny woke up a while later and saw Kyle lying down on his bed, reading. He felt rested for the first time in weeks, which made him very happy. He yawned very loudly, which prompted Kyle to close his book and sit up on his bed. There was a long, awkward silence as both boys just stared at each other.

Kyle: Did you sleep well?  
>Kenny: Yeah... Thanks for letting me sleep here.<br>Kyle: Any time. Look, I'm going downstairs to get some breakfast, do you want some?  
>Kenny: That's OK. I'm not hungry.<br>Kyle: Alright. I'll be right back.

Kyle left his room and locked the door, thinking that Kenny was going to wait for him, but he wasn't going to stick around for much longer. He got a pen that was on Kyle's desk and started writing on a small piece of paper.  
>By the time Kyle got back, he had already left. He saw the note Kenny had carefully laid on his bed and read it. To anyone else, Kenny's handwriting was incomprehensible, but Kyle spent enough time reading things Kenny had written to understand it perfectly.<p>

"_Kyle, thanks for letting me sleep over, but I have to. Sorry I didn't wait for you to come back and sorry I broke into your room. It won't happen again._"

Kenny wanted to stay away from Kyle for now. He needed time to understand what he felt when he saw Kyle and, more importantly, how to handle it.

* * *

><p>I'll start the third chapter later today. Once again, sorry for the delay.<p> 


	3. Time

Kenny was still walking back home when he bumped into Stan.

Stan: Hey, Kenny.  
>Kenny: Hi, Stan.<br>Stan: Listen, Kyle gave me the key to the club house yesterday, to make some copies. Here's yours.

Kenny took the small key and put it in his pocket. Now he could avoid Kyle until he got his thoughts straight _and_ sleep properly at night. Two birds with one key.

Kenny: Thanks. You don't mind if I sleep there sometimes, do you? I've been having... sleep issues lately.  
>Stan: Of course not! You helped us build it. Just don't burn the place down, alright?<br>Kenny: Sure.  
>Stan: Well, I gotta go now. I have... five more keys to deliver. Just the thought of it bores me.<br>Kenny: Good luck. Try not to kill yourself out of boredom.  
>Stan: I'll give it my best shot.<p>

Kenny and Stan said their goodbyes and each went his own way. Stan was headed to Kyle's house and Kenny decided to go to the club house rather than back to his own house. He thought it would be easier to focus in a quiet club house on the far side of a lake nobody goes to anymore rather than at his house, where his parents would most likely be yelling at each other.

* * *

><p>Stan was the first one to reach his destination. He was greeted by Kyle and handed him his key.<p>

Kyle: Cool, you made these already.  
>Stan: Yeah, I know a guy who can get these things done very quickly. Oh, by the way, I ran into Kenny on my way here. He wanted to sleep at the club house sometimes; I told him it was OK.<br>Kyle: Alright.  
>Stan: I have to go. I'll come back when I'm done delivering the rest of these keys.<br>Kyle: OK.

* * *

><p>Kenny arrived at the club house just as Stan was delivering Cartman's key. He locked the door and sat down on one of the couches. He started thinking about what happened last night. He had seen Kyle a thousand times before, but this time it was different. His heart rate rose, he could feel his blood rushing to his face, he started to sweat and his thoughts turned into incoherent images of Kyle.<br>The explanation was simple – He had a crush on Kyle. He just needed some time to get over it. He also had to make sure to keep it from his friends in the meantime. No big deal.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Stan finished delivering the final key to Token.<p>

Token: Thanks! This is really cool.  
>Stan: It's just a key, dude. Calm down.<br>Token: I mean the whole thing. You know, building a club house from scratch, getting some cool stuff, having a small party in it with all our friends...  
>Stan: I guess it is pretty cool. Now we just have to make sure we don't blow it up.<br>Token: Of course we won't. We're not idiots.  
>Stan: I dunno. A lot of crazy shit happened when we were kids, remember?<br>Token: Well, things have been pretty quiet for the past... ten years or so.  
>Stan: I guess... Look, I gotta go now. I told Kyle I'd get back to his place once I was done delivering all the keys.<br>Token: Alright. See ya.  
>Stan: Bye.<p>

After Token closed his front door, Stan faced the direction of Kyle's house and sighed. It was a long way back.

* * *

><p>As Stan started walking back to Kyle's, Kenny left the club house and headed to his own house. He was feeling calm, despite his feelings for Kyle. He had known for a while that he was gay, and he didn't care.<p>

"_What's the big deal anyway? Kyle's sweet, he's smart, he's pretty... The only problem is that he's straight. If it weren't for that, he'd be perfect._"

Kenny dodged a large puddle on the road and kept walking. Unfortunately, a careless driver didn't notice it and ended up splashing him head to toe.

"_Great. Well, at least I don't have to go anywhere else for now._"

* * *

><p>Stan arrived at Kyle's just as Kenny arrived at his house. He knocked on Kyle's door and they went up to his room.<p>

Stan: I finished delivering all the keys.  
>Kyle: I can see you're relieved. Just how boring was it?<br>Stan: Let's just say that I'd rather watch paint dry. And I do mean that literally.  
>Kyle: Hey, if it makes you feel any better, it's the last time you'll ever have to do something like this.<br>Stan: It... really doesn't.  
>Kyle: What if I told you about a new strip club that opened in the next town over?<br>Stan: Now that sounds like it could be fun. Why didn't I hear about this sooner?  
>Kyle: I just found out myself; it opened while we were busy building the club house.<br>Stan: What did you have planned?  
>Kyle: We can go tomorrow. I'll talk to Kenny and you can go talk to Cartman. I'd talk to both of them, but you know how Cartman is. It's hard for me to get a real answer out of him.<br>Stan: Alright. Well, I'm gonna go talk to Cartman then.  
>Kyle: OK.<p>

Stan gave Kyle a short hug and left. As soon as he got outside he took out a small flask from his coat pocket and drank from it. He was getting bored with being everyone's messenger/delivery boy.

"_That strip club better be worth it._"

* * *

><p>Kyle was wondering whether he should call Kenny or just drive over to his house and talk to him in person. He decided to do the former. Kenny's phone rang for a while, because he didn't want to talk to Kyle right now. However, he decided it was better to pick up the phone and talk rather than make Kyle suspicions by dodging his calls.<p>

Kenny: Hey, Kyle.  
>Kyle: Kenny, Stan, Cartman and I are going to a new strip club tomorrow night. Do you want to come with us?<br>Kenny: I... uh... I can't.  
>Kyle: Why not?<br>Kenny: I just can't...  
>Kyle: Come on, Kenny...<br>Kenny: No.  
>Kyle: Please? If you don't come with us it'll just be me, Stan and fatass. It'll be boring.<p>

"_Fine, just stop pouting. It makes me feel weird._"

Kenny: Fine... I'll go with you guys.  
>Kyle: Great! I'll pick you up at 11 PM tomorrow, alright?<br>Kenny: Sure.  
>Kyle: Thanks, Kenny.<br>Kenny: You're welcome. I really gotta go now.

"_I really need a shower._"

Kyle: Alright. Don't forget about tomorrow.  
>Kenny: I won't.<p>

"_Great. I shouldn't have agreed to this. Now I get to try and ignore the fact that Kyle is just inches away from me for almost three hours. I just hope the guys don't notice anything._"

* * *

><p>The following night Kyle was getting ready to leave his house and pick up Kenny. He made sure everyone else was sound asleep, got in his mother's car and drove away. When he got to Kenny's it looked like he had already been waiting outside for a while. Kenny got in the car and tried to warm himself up.<p>

Kyle: How long have you been out here?  
>Kenny: No idea.<br>Kyle: Hang on a sec.

Kyle got a small blanket out of the trunk and handed it to Kenny.

Kyle: Here. My mom always keeps a lot of stuff in the car just in case.

"_Now I know where you get it from._"

Kenny took the small blanket and smiled at Kyle. He really was the sweetest guy in South Park.

Kenny: Thanks.

Kyle smiled back at Kenny and drove to Stan's, then Cartman's, then to the strip club.

* * *

><p>The boys got in the strip club and sat down at one of the tables. They ordered a round of drinks and talked about a lot of things. The new strip club, their success with the club house and what they should do with it now.<p>

Stan: We could just use it instead of going to bars. We can probably afford enough drinks to last a day or two. Obviously we can't afford strippers, but that's what strip clubs were made for.  
>Kyle: And how would we decide who would go out and buy some more every time we ran out? I'm not going to drive all the way here to buy us drinks every couple of days.<br>Eric: Why the fuck not?  
>Kyle: Well, let's see... maybe because I'm not your fucking delivery boy?<br>Stan: Well, we'll just have to come up with something else.  
>Kenny: We <em>could<em> just stick to non-alcoholic drinks. We could take five minutes to buy actual drinks when we actually came over here for whatever reason.  
>Eric: ...I guess that could work.<br>Stan: Alright then. Now let's pay attention to the girls. After all, that's what we're here for.

"_That's why _you're_ here. I came because I couldn't say no to Kyle when he started pouting. He's just too damned cute._"

* * *

><p>After a while the boys decided they had spent enough money on drinks and left. One by one, Kyle dropped the boys off at their houses. However, when it was Kenny's turn, he saw that he didn't look well.<p>

Kyle: Kenny, are you feeling alright?  
>Kenny: I'm fine.<p>

Kyle put his hand on Kenny's temple and noticed that he had a fever.

Kyle: ...You're hot.

"_What?_"

Kyle: You should go home and take something for that fever.

"_...Oh._"

Kenny: I'll be fine. It's probably just a cold or something because of that car.  
>Kyle: What car?<br>Kenny: Some idiot ran over a huge puddle and splashed me.  
>Kyle: It could've been worse.<br>Kenny: I guess. Anyway, I'm fine. I'll talk to you tomorrow, alright?  
>Kyle: ...Sure.<p>

Kenny wasn't entirely convinced that Kyle was going to drop it, but he really couldn't do anything about it.

* * *

><p>A few days later, Kyle tried calling Kenny a bunch of times, to see how he was doing, but he never picked up the phone. Since he also hadn't called him the day after he got a fever, Kyle decided to go check on him in person. As soon as he left, he bumped into Stan.<p>

Stan: Hey.  
>Kyle: Hi. What's with the bags?<br>Stan: I didn't have anything to do, so I bought these for our club house. It's just a few drinks, some water, stuff like that.  
>Kyle: Cool.<br>Stan: Where are you going?  
>Kyle: Well, Kenny had a fever a while ago and he's not answering his phone, so I just thought I'd-<br>Stan: Go check on the guy you have a crush on?  
>Kyle: I don't have a crush on him.<br>Stan: Right. That's why when my parents got separated you gave up on me after a couple of tries, but Kenny has a fever and you're going over to his place like you're his mom or something.  
>Kyle: We were kids back then, I didn't know what to do.<br>Stan: What about when Cartman got sick from something he ate?  
>Kyle: That's Cartman. He's a dick. Besides, it wasn't that serious. I'm surprised that sort of thing doesn't happen more often with him.<br>Stan: Kyle, come on, you can't be in this much denial about your feelings-  
>Kyle: I don't feel anything for Kenny other than friendship. And I honestly find it a bit arrogant that you think you know what I feel better than me.<br>Stan: Alright, alright... But just think about what I said.  
>Kyle: If I do, will you stop talking to me about it?<br>Stan: Promise.  
>Kyle: Alright then.<p>

* * *

><p>Kyle and Stan were headed in the same direction, so Kyle drove both of them until they reached Kenny's house. Stan suppressed his impulse to say something about Kenny and just patted Kyle's back before he left.<br>Kyle parked his mom's car, knocked on Kenny's door and was greeted by Kevin.

Kevin: Hey.  
>Kyle: Hi.<br>Kevin: I assume you're here for my brother?  
>Kyle: Yeah.<br>Kevin: He's upstairs in his room. He's probably still sleeping, though. You can go in if you want, but he's gonna be pissed if you wake him up.  
>Kyle: I'll be fine, thanks.<br>Kevin: Well, I gotta go now.  
>Kyle: Where are your parents?<br>Kevin: They went somewhere together. I don't know where.  
>Kyle: And you're just gonna leave me alone?<br>Kevin: You're one of Kenny's friends. I know I can trust you. Besides, Kenny's home too. And he's way stronger than you are, so even if I'm wrong to trust you, and you try anything stupid, he can kick your ass.  
>Kyle: ...Alright.<p>

"_That didn't sound threatening at all._"

* * *

><p>Kyle went up the stairs and into Kenny's room. He saw Kenny was lying on his bed, but he looked even worse than before. Kyle approached him slowly, trying to figure out just how bad he was before he got worried over nothing.<p>

Kenny: Kevin? Is that you?  
>Kyle: No, it's me. Your brother left for a while.<br>Kenny: ...I don't feel so good...

Kyle put his hand on Kenny's temple and noticed he had a pretty bad fever. He looked at Kenny to see just how bad it was. He was rolling his eyes all the time and he was shivering. Kyle was growing more worried by the second.

Kyle: You're burning up. Hang on, I'll go get you something.

Kyle ran outside to get some aspirin from his mom's car for Kenny. His only thought was that he had to take care of Kenny. There was a small voice in the back of his head telling him Stan was right, but he ignored it. Kenny needed him right now and that was all that mattered. His feelings or lack thereof would have to wait.

* * *

><p>And that's the third chapter. I'll start working on the fourth and final one tomorrow. I hope you like the story so far.<p> 


	4. The Mistake

Sorry for the delay. This chapter went through several iterations and I had some real life stuff to take care of. However, this is _not_ the final chapter. Right now I am unsure whether the story will end at five or six chapters.

* * *

><p>Kyle ran back up to Kenny's room and handed him a small glass of water and an aspirin.<p>

Kyle: Here. It's not a cure, but it should make you feel better.  
>Kenny: ...Thanks, Kyle.<p>

"_You're sweet._"

Kenny took the aspirin and looked at Kyle, who looked even more worried than when he died from muscular dystrophy when they were kids. Of course, Kyle didn't remember that, but he did. He remembered everything.

The boys sat there for a long time without saying anything to each other, each lost in his own thoughts.  
>Kyle was going back and forth between Kenny's current condition and what Stan told him earlier, whereas Kenny felt that he was lying to Kyle for not telling him about his feelings. He kept trying to psyche himself up, but every time he opened his mouth to speak, nothing came out.<br>Eventually, Kenny fell asleep. Kyle sat in silence, just staring at Kenny, trying to find even the slightest sign of discomfort.  
>Stan's voice rang in his head again, but this time, he was unable to ignore it. He sighed and started thinking about what he said, looking around Kenny's room, trying to find something else to think of. Stan <em>was<em> right about one thing – he did care more about Kenny than Stan and Cartman, but they were just closer. Cartman was an asshole and, although Stan and Kyle got back together shortly after Stan found a way to deal with his newfound personality quirk, their friendship just wasn't the same. Stan still did everything he used to do, but Kyle could tell he wasn't really enjoying himself, or at least not as much as he thought he should be.

"_Maybe Stan's right about..._"

Kyle now focused on Kenny and the look on his face while he was sleeping

"_You sure look cute when you're asleep..._"

He had always thought Kenny was pretty, but he also thought that was obvious to anyone who wasn't blind, and he wasn't ashamed that he thought what he did. However, he would never admit it to any of his friends. Although he wasn't big on homophobia, Cartman, Craig, Clyde and probably even Kenny himself would shun him (or worse) if they knew he thought Kenny was cute.  
>A thought occurred to him: Was it <em>really<em> obvious to everyone, even other boys, that Kenny was pretty? Or was Stan right and was trying to rationalize it? Either way, there was probably only one person who could tell him for sure, while keeping it a secret – Stan himself. If Stan didn't think that Kenny was cute, the conclusion was obvious. Unfortunately, getting him to answer that question without a "You have a crush on him" speech would be difficult.

"_This better be worth it..._"

Kyle got his possible crush on Kenny out of his mind and focused on his condition again. He would've left to go talk to Stan, but Kenny needed him right now, and that was more important to him than any personal problems he might have.

* * *

><p>Kyle back and forth in Kenny's room for what seemed like hours, checking on him every couple of minutes, until he finally woke up, groaning.<p>

Kenny: How long was I out?  
>Kyle: Dunno.<br>Kenny: Have you been in my room this whole time?  
>Kyle: ...Yeah.<p>

"_That's not creepy at all._"

Kenny: You could've gone home, you know.  
>Kyle: ...Do you want me to?<br>Kenny: That's not what I meant... I meant that you don't have to stay here if you don't want to; I can take care of myself.  
>Kyle: You have a high fever and you sound like shit. I don't care how strong you think you are, you're in no condition to take care of yourself.<p>

Of course, those weren't the only reasons. Kyle didn't just think that Kenny needed someone to take care of him right now, he _wanted_ to be that someone.

Kenny: Alright, _mom_.

Kyle was slightly insulted, even though he knew Kenny meant it as a joke, but he didn't say anything about it. Kenny started thinking about his parents – how they had been fighting more often than usual, how they had been leaving the house together and how he really needed to know what they had been doing. He would probably be in bed for the next couple of days, though, so he needed someone to go check on them before it was too late. However, he couldn't ask Kyle for help. Although he wanted to know about what his parents were doing, he wanted to be around Kyle even more.

Kenny: ...Can you go get me a beer or something?  
>Kyle: You shouldn't drink when you're sick. How about some tea?<p>

"_Not my favorite thing to drink... but I guess it gives me more than enough time to call Butters and convince him to follow my parents around town._"

Kenny: ...Sure. Thanks.

As soon as Kyle left the room, Kenny grabbed his phone and started dialing Butters' number. Butters noticed Kenny didn't sound very well, and after Kenny was able to convince Butters he was being taken care of, they had a long discussion on the legality and invasion of privacy of following his parents, but eventually Butters (reluctantly) agreed to do it. Kenny thanked Butters and hung up the phone, although they were both still a little hesitant. Butters didn't like spying on other people, for obvious reasons, and Kenny wasn't sure he really wanted to know what his parents were up to.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Stan had finished restocking the club house with the stuff he bought and was heading back to Kyle's house to go check on him. However, when he got there, Ike told him he was still out.<p>

"_He's probably still at Kenny's. It's not like Kyle to stay away for so long; I'd better go check on them._"

Stan walked to Kenny's house as quickly as he could, but he was slowed down by Butters, who was looking for Kenny's parents.

Leopold: Hey, Stan, can I talk to you for a sec?  
>Stan: Alright, but make it quick.<p>

Butters knew he could trust Stan, so he told him about Kenny's parents' situation and asked him if he knew where they were. Obviously, Stan didn't know anything about it, but he was glad to know Kenny had someone taking care of him. He assumed it was Kyle, but he tried not to let that influence him; he was still going to see how Kenny was doing. Kyle had taught him a long time ago not to act on his assumptions, as that would most likely lead to "some bad shit", as he put it. Butters was in a hurry, so he shook Stan's hand and left to go search for Kenny's parents.

* * *

><p>Kyle had just finished making Kenny's tea, so he went back upstairs to bring it to him. He noticed Kenny's phone's backlight just before it turned itself off, but he didn't say anything about it.<p>

"_He was probably just checking his messages or something._"

Kenny sat up on his bed and Kyle gave him a small cup of tea, which already had a few spoonfuls of sugar, and sat down next to him, as he was tired from walking around.  
>Kenny took a small sip and tried to hide his nervousness from Kyle. Having him sit at near lip locking distance was both exhilarating and distressing, to say the least.<p>

Kyle: Are you feeling better?  
>Kenny: Yeah.<p>

Kyle suddenly put his hand on Kenny's temple to check his temperature, which startled him. He put down his cup, grabbed Kyle hand, slowly (so as to enjoy "holding hands" for as long as possible) took it off his temple, and cleared his throat.

Kenny: ...Listen, Kyle...  
>Kyle: What is it?<br>Kenny: I-I have something I need t-to... tell you.  
>Kyle: OK...<p>

Kenny turned his head and looked straight into Kyle's hazel eyes, which made both of them feel uncomfortable. Nevertheless, if he was doing this, he was going to do it right. He wasn't going to hide under his hood, he wasn't going to look away and he most certainly wasn't going to let some stupid fever stop him.

"_Why is this so hard? It's just a stupid crush. It's not like I'm in love with Kyle or anything._"

Kenny focused on how he should say it and opened his mouth to speak.

Kenny: I l-l..

Unfortunately, Stan had already arrived at Kenny's and noticed that Kyle's mom's car was still parked there. He knocked on the door just in time to break the tension, which made Kenny relieved and disappointed.

Kyle: Hold on, I'll go get it.

"_Dammit._"

* * *

><p>Kyle went downstairs and was glad to see Stan.<p>

Kyle: Hey, Stan.

"_Just like I suspected._" thought Stan as he smiled.

Stan: Hey, Kyle. I heard Kenny was really sick, so I came over to check on him.  
>Kyle: Really? You know, if I were you, I'd be telling you how you have a crush on him.<br>Stan: This is different. I came here because I heard he wasn't feeling well, you came here because you didn't hear from him at all.  
>Kyle: ...Listen, I've been thinking about what you told me earlier today-<br>Stan: Obviously.  
>Kyle: Can you let me finish?<br>Stan: Sorry.  
>Kyle: Like I said, I've been thinking about what you said...<p>

Kyle told Stan about his thoughts and asked him what he needed to know. Stan was not surprised by Kyle's thoughts, but he didn't say anything; he just answered truthfully and without any sort of lecture. Kyle and Stan stood for a long time, each processing Kyle's feelings in his own way, until Kyle finally decided to say something.

Kyle: ...I see.  
>Stan: ...You seem remarkably calm...<br>Kyle: I guess I always knew something was... different about my friendship with Kenny.

"_Or maybe I'm just trying to stay calm so I can take care of Kenny until he gets better._"

Stan: So... what are you gonna do about it?  
>Kyle: I don't know. I should... tell him.<br>Stan: Are you sure that's the best thing to do right now?  
>Kyle: Why? What do you think I should do?<br>Stan: You should make sure he feels the same way about you as you do about him. At least wait until he's feeling better.  
>Kyle: ...You're right. I'll take care of him first and tell him when he's all better.<br>Stan: Aww, isn't that-  
>Kyle: Don't even dare.<br>Stan: Fine... Seriously though, I hope he gets better soon.

"_Me too..._"

Stan: Well, I'd better leave you two alone. I wouldn't want to be around here when you-  
>Kyle: Dude!<br>Stan: Relax, I'm just messing with you.  
>Kyle: It's not funny. Listen, I should go back now. Just stop talking about this.<br>Stan: Alright. I'm sorry. I'll go now.

* * *

><p>Stan went back to his house and Kyle went back upstairs to Kenny's room, where he had already finished the tea he made for him. However, after his small argument with Stan, he forgot about Kenny and whatever it was that he was trying to tell him, and Kenny didn't mention it. After Stan's interruption he had lost his confidence and wasn't ready to try again.<p>

Kyle: How was it?  
>Kenny: What?<br>Kyle: The tea.  
>Kenny: Right... It was good. Thanks.<br>Kyle: Listen, Kenny... do you mind if I stay over... just until you get better?

"_I would love that._"

Kenny: I guess... But won't your mom get bitchy if you ask her to stay over?  
>Kyle: I'll ask my dad, but I won't tell him where I'm staying. If we're lucky, he'll face my mom. Even if he doesn't, he won't know where I am.<p>

"_Because I sure as hell won't face her. I'd prefer to stay alive for as long as possible._"

Kyle: I'll go right now, if that's OK...  
>Kenny: Of course. It's not like I tied you down or anything.<br>Kyle: I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere.

* * *

><p>Kyle went back to his house, made sure his mom was away and asked his dad if he could stay over at "a friend's house". As always, his dad didn't ask questions and told him it was alright. Kyle didn't waste any time waiting for his mother and, after getting everything he needed, went back to Kenny's. While he was away, Butters called Kenny and told him he couldn't find his parents anywhere. Kenny formulated a new plan – when his parents left the house together he would call Butters and warn him, so he wouldn't have to waste his time trying to find them.<p>

* * *

><p>Kyle had been staying at Kenny's for three days now, taking care of everything for him. Kenny's family didn't mind, though, as they were too busy with their own things. The only thing that was different was that his parents weren't arguing in the house anymore, or at least not so loudly that it could be heard. They didn't want Kyle to hear them arguing.<br>After the third day, Kenny's parents finally left the house together again, and he immediately called Butters, after getting Kyle out of his room. Butters ran over to Kenny's and started following his parents, taking great care not to be seen by them or anyone else who might figure out what he was up to.

"_I really hope this is worth it..._"

* * *

><p>Meanwhile Kyle was getting Kenny something to eat and drink, while he nervously waited for Butters' call.<br>What were his parents up to that required such secrecy? Was it related to why they were arguing all the time? Did his dad do something he shouldn't have? Whatever the secret, he would find out today... hopefully.

Kyle: Hey, Kenny. Here, I made you a sandwich.  
>Kenny: Thanks.<br>Kyle: You look a lot better. How are you feeling?  
>Kenny: I'm fine now... Thanks for being here.<br>Kyle: It's not like I could have left.  
>Kenny: You could've. The front door is unlocked-<br>Kyle: You know what I mean. You're my friend, Kenny...

"_I guess this is as a good time as any to tell him. I just need to get this off my chest._"

Kyle: ...Can I tell you something?  
>Kenny: What is it?<br>Kyle: I uh... I...

Kyle's face turned bright red as he tried to speak, but he decided to just risk it all and kissed Kenny's cheek. Both boys turned bright red almost immediately, but they didn't say anything to each other; they didn't even look at each other, as they were too embarrassed to do so. Kenny's phone rang a few seconds later, which startled both of them, turning their faces back to their normal colors. Kenny grabbed it and saw who it was – Butters. He had finally found his parents.

Kenny: Uh... It's kinda private, do you mind-  
>Kyle: ...Yeah, sure.<p>

"_Fuck._"

* * *

><p>Kyle left the room and Kenny started talking to Butters. He told him how he had followed his parents to the very outskirts of town, where they went to an appointment they had with a marriage counselor. Butters climbed the wall of the building to listen to their conversation and heard something he wished he hadn't – the marriage counselor told them it might be better if they took some time apart, and maybe consider getting a divorce. After he heard this, he lost his grip, fell onto some bushes and ran away, so nobody would see him.<br>Kenny felt tears rolling down his cheeks, but he didn't say anything to Butters, who also remained quiet. After almost a full minute he thanked him for what he did and hung up the phone before he had time to reply.

* * *

><p>Kyle noticed Kenny had been quiet for a long time now and knocked on the door, trying to see if he was alright.<p>

Kyle: Kenny! Dude, are you still on the phone?

He didn't get any reply, so he opened the door and found Kenny crying on his bed.

Kyle: What's wrong?  
>Kenny: ...Please leave.<br>Kyle: Just tell me what's wrong.  
>Kenny: Kyle, go home.<p>

Kyle didn't move an inch. He didn't know what was wrong, but he wanted to be there for Kenny. He knew that leaving at this point would be worse than staying here, regardless of what Kenny said. Of course, what Kenny said and what he did were two _very_ different things. He wasn't completely cured yet, but he was strong enough to be able to (gently) toss Kyle out of his room and lock the door. Kyle tried to get him to open the door, but he finally gave up and left.  
>He started thinking if maybe what he did was a bit much; if Kenny didn't like it and that's why he kicked him out. Or maybe it had something to do with that phone call – after all, he only kicked him out after the phone call. Then again, he didn't say anything about what he did before he answered the phone, and he could've said something a long before whoever it was hung up.<br>Kenny was also thinking about his own possible guilt, but related to his parents' situation. Should he have talked to them when he noticed they were arguing more often than usual? Should he have talked to his siblings? What did he do wrong?

* * *

><p>So, that's the fourth chapter. I'll start working on the fifth (and probably final) chapter in a few hours. I thought about merging the rest of the story into this chapter, but I thought that since you guysgirls had been waiting for a long time that it would be better to just post it.  
>In the unlikely event that you're wondering whose mistake I'm referring to in the title: I'm referring to everyone's mistakes. Kenny's, for kicking Kyle out and getting Butters to follow his parents around instead of talking to them, Butters', for actually agreeing to it, and finally Kenny's parents', for hiring an incompetent marriage counselor.<p> 


	5. Guilt

Alright, this time it really _is_ the final chapter. Personally, I disliked the slow progression of the story, but I hope you guys/girls liked it.

* * *

><p>While walking home, Kyle bumped into Stan, who was on his way to Butters'. Stan was surprised to see him, since he hadn't left Kenny's house in days. Kyle told him what he did and what Kenny did afterward, which Stan found strange. He told Kyle he would try to help him somehow, but he didn't like that idea.<p>

Kyle: Dude, do you know how that makes me look?  
>Stan: Do you care more about what people think of you than being with someone you like?<br>Kyle: ...Yeah, kinda.  
>Stan: ...Kyle, I'm not going to point out how fucking retarded that is, because if you don't already know, you won't be able to understand it.<br>Kyle: Did you just say I'm an idiot?  
>Stan: <em>Yeah, kinda.<em> You care way too much about what people think of you. I'm not saying caring what people think of you is good or bad, but caring too much _is_ bad.  
>Kyle: Or maybe it's because if you go talk to him for me you'll make me look bad in front of <em>him<em>. I don't give a shit about what you guys think of me, I just don't want _him_ to think badly of me.  
>Stan: ...Right. I'm sorry.<br>Kyle: ...You're still gonna do it, aren't you?

"_Totally. Just not in the way you're thinking of._"

Stan: No. You're right. I won't talk to him for you.  
>Kyle: Thanks, Stan.<p>

"_I'm gonna talk to him for his sake, not yours._"

Kyle: I gotta get home now. Hopefully my mom won't kill me.  
>Stan: Alright. Good luck.<br>Kyle: Thanks.

* * *

><p>Kyle went home as quickly as he could, but when he got there, he found it completely empty. There was nobody anywhere.<p>

"_I guess it's better than having to withstand my mom's annoying voice. When she yells it's like she's a fucking air horn._"

Kyle went up to his room and closed the door behind him, in case someone came back. He didn't want anyone to see how sad he was, or they might start asking questions, and he didn't have any good lies about where he had been for the past three days.  
>He wasn't sad that Kenny had thrown him out or that he had pretty much rejected him, he was sad because Kenny himself was sad and he couldn't do anything to help. Worse yet, he didn't even know what he was sad about. If he knew, he could at least try to get someone <em>else<em> to help out.

"_Maybe I should call Stan and tell him about that... Or maybe not. He might try to talk to Kenny about me too._"

* * *

><p>Meanwhile Stan was almost at Kenny's when he noticed Butters was already going in. He thought about waiting outside to talk to him before talking to Kenny.<p>

"_...Or I could just 'accidentally' overhear them._"

Leopold: So...  
>Kenny: So what? Did you come here to tell me it's not my fault? Or that "time heals all wounds" crap?<br>Leopold: Actually I came here to tell you that you shouldn't assume they're going to do anything that so called "marriage counselor" told them... at least not the divorce part. Besides, even if they _do_ take some time apart it's not going to be forever.  
>Kenny: I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had been living with my parents for over 18 years.<p>

"_I see your sense of humor hasn't been affected by this._"

Leopold: You're right about that, but either your parents are incredibly selfish and will get a divorce despite having three kids or they will find some other way to solve their problems. Which do you think sounds more like them?  
>Kenny: Do you want an honest answer to that?<br>Leopold: No. I don't want you to tell me what you think you know. I want you to be honest with yourself and actually give it some thought instead of just assuming the worst. I'm not going to tell you what _I_ think, you already know it. I'm just gonna leave now and leave you to your own thoughts.  
>Kenny: Yeah... you do that.<br>Leopold: ...Goodbye, Kenny.

Butters was extremely annoyed by Kenny's apparent refusal to even consider a different possibility. However, he had been trying to do it since Butters' phone call. He just didn't think anything else was possible.  
>Stan hid when he heard Butters leaving and, after making sure he had left, went into Kenny's house to talk to him.<p>

* * *

><p>Kenny: ...How the fuck do you guys keep getting in my house?<br>Stan: Your door isn't exactly the safest thing in South Park.

"_Yeah... I should probably go somewhere else._"

Kenny: So, what are you here for?  
>Stan: I heard of what happened between you and Kyle and-<br>Kenny: Right... _That_. I have other things on my mind right now.

Stan didn't tell him he "overheard" his conversation with Butters and asked him what was on his mind. However, Kenny dodged his questions and just said it was "personal", which was code for "Mind your own damn business, Stan".

Stan: Well, I'll leave you alone then. I'm sure you have a lot on your mind.

Stan left, not knowing that Kenny wasn't going to stay either. Long before the boys turned 18, Kenny already used to walk all the way to the next town over during the weekend and drank there by himself.

* * *

><p>After making sure that Stan was far away, Kenny left for one of the many bars he used to drink at.<br>When he got there, he was greeted by the bartender, who noticed that he came alone.

Bartender: Where are your friends?

Kenny took a big sip from the cold glass in front of him and glared at the bartender.

Kenny: Not here.

"_Okay then... You're in a bad mood._"  
>The bartender poured Kenny's favorite drink in a smaller glass and put it in front of him.<p>

Bartender: Here. On the house.  
>Kenny: ...Thanks.<p>

"_I feel like I'm in a bad movie or something. The only thing that's left is my parents magically getting back together and Kyle showing up here._"

Kenny, acting on impulse, turned around and looked across the bar.

"_Nope. Nobody there. Nobody I know anyway._"

Kenny: ...Can you tell me what kind of restaurants you guys have here?

* * *

><p>Back in South Park, Kyle was still wondering whether Kenny kicked him out because of what he did or the mysterious phone call he had taken just a few minutes before kicking him out. He was mostly sure it was the phone call, but he also thought that it was just his own bias that made him reach that conclusion.<br>He decided to go over to Kenny's, but he ran into Butters along the way, who was on his way to talk to him.

Leopold: Hey. I was just gonna talk to you.  
>Kyle: About what?<p>

Like he did with Stan, Butters told Kyle everything he knew about what happened between Kenny's parents and his reaction to it. Kyle was now convinced and relieved that he hadn't done anything wrong, but that moment of relief was very short, as he realized that it meant that Kenny was in trouble, again.

Kyle: Why did you tell me this?  
>Leopold: I've seen the way you look at him. I don't care how deep your friendship is, I've never seen you look at anyone like <em>that<em>. Not even Stan.

Kyle blushed a bit and smiled while looking at the ground, embarrassed and annoyed.

Kyle: Is it that obvious?  
>Leopold: At first it wasn't, but the fact that you've never had a serious relationship with a girl along with the fact that you hang out with Kenny more often than anyone else <em>kinda<em> gave it away.  
>Kyle: Still, what can <em>I<em> do? I... I showed him how I felt and... he kicked me out... Hell, he _tossed_ me out.  
>Leopold: Wow.<br>Kyle: Yeah, he's much stronger than he seems.  
>Leopold: It's not that it's- Look, just go talk to him. Or his parents. I just need <em>someone<em> to help me with this.

Kyle told Butters he was already on his way to talk to Kenny, which made him smile. He then proceeded to tell Kyle about Stan and his involvement in all of this.  
>They decided that Kyle should go talk to Kenny's parents instead and leave Kenny to Stan and Butters. They thought it would be better if Kenny didn't have to deal with his feelings for Kyle while talking about his parents imminent divorce.<p>

Kyle: Alright. Just don't... you know, talk about me. There will be plenty of time for that after we get his parents on the same page.

"_I can see why he likes you. I don't know why Cartman doesn't, though._"

Leopold: Thanks for helping out. We'll try to keep Kenny from... "admitting defeat".  
>Kyle: You mean from getting too depressed and trying to do something stupid?<br>Leopold: ...Yeah, that.

* * *

><p>Butters ran to Stan's house and told him about the "plan" he drafted with Kyle. The two walked over to Kenny's while Kyle was trying to find Kenny's parents. They weren't at the marriage counselor's office Butters told him about, they weren't home (or else one of the other two boys would've called him by now) and they weren't in any of the bars in town.<p>

"_Well, I'm all out of ideas. Kenny would probably know them better than... anyone... I'm such an idiot._"

There was someone who knew Kenny's parents even better than him – his brother. Kyle went back to one of the bars where he had seen Kevin and asked him where his parents were.

Kevin: They're probably getting a divorce or something, judging from how they've been fighting lately.  
>Kyle: And you're OK with that?<br>Kevin: No... but there's nothing I can do about it... I'm sure Ken's having a hard time dealing with it, though. When we were kids he always... overreacted whenever our parents argued.  
>Kyle: Thanks for the tip.<p>

* * *

><p>He didn't find them anywhere where they could possibly be getting a divorce, so he just figured they were making up and decided to go to Kenny's to give him the good news. Of course, when he got there, he found Stan and Butters just standing outside, with a confused look on their faces.<p>

Kyle: Why are you guys out here?  
>Leopold: We couldn't find Kenny anywhere.<br>Kyle: Did you check the club house? Maybe he's hiding in there.  
>Stan: Dude, we're not idiots. He's not there.<br>Kyle: Did you try-  
>Leopold: We called him, left him three voice mails and ten text messages. He doesn't want to talk to us and we don't know where he is.<p>

"_My bet is he's in some bar trying to drink until he can't feel anything. That's fine. I'll turn every bar in a five town radius upside down if I have to._"

* * *

><p>Kyle told Stan and Butters to go home since they couldn't do anything. He also said he would try to find Kenny, which they reluctantly agreed to. Kyle also went home, trying to get in his mother's car as soon as possible and driving over to the next town to try and find Kenny. However, when he got there, his mother was waiting for him.<p>

Sheila: Kyle! Where have you been?

"_Shit. Well, at least Kenny will find out about his parents, eventually... Too bad I won't be alive to see it._"

Kyle: I was staying at a friend's house. I told dad about it and he said-  
>Sheila: I know what he said... Next time, you should talk to me too.<p>

"_Are you having a stroke or something?_"

Kyle: Um... OK... I'm sorry.

"_Sorry and terrified._"

Kyle: So... am I grounded or something?  
>Sheila: Are you gonna do something like this again?<br>Kyle: No...  
>Sheila: ...Alright.<p>

Kyle went up into his room with his head lowered as he passed by his mother. The fact that she wasn't yelling at him only made it worse. She wasn't angry or anything like that, she was just severely disappointed, which put him on the verge of crying.  
>When he got to his room he saw Ike sitting on his bed.<p>

Kyle: Hey, Ike.  
>Ike: Hey. I guess mom already talked to you?<br>Kyle: Yeah.  
>Ike: She was really sad, you know. Why didn't you tell her where you were?<br>Kyle: You know why. She'd just try to stop me... and it was important.  
>Ike: Leaving for three days to take care of Kenny? <em>That<em> was important?

"_How the fuck do you even know about that?_"

Kyle: Look, just leave me alone.

Ike got up and left, which prompted Kyle to slam the door as soon as he left.  
>If he asked his mother to take her car right now she'd probably say yes, but after seeing the look on her face, he didn't want to do anything that might make her even more depressed.<p>

* * *

><p>A few hours later Kenny had already returned home, where his brother was watching TV.<p>

Kevin: Dude, where were you? Your friends were looking for you everywhere.  
>Kenny: I was out. Who came looking for me?<br>Kevin: Uh... Stan and I think the other kid is called Butters or something.

"_Yeah, I kinda got that. They wouldn't stop calling me._"

Kenny: ...What about Kyle?  
>Kevin: He was looking for our parents, but he didn't say anything about you.<br>Kenny: ...If they come by just tell them I'm still out.  
>Kevin: Sure... Listen, Ken, don't worry about mom and dad. This isn't the first time they've been like this. You were too young when it happened, so you probably don't remember it. They always get back together in the end, because of us.<br>Kenny: How can you be so sure this time will be like that?  
>Kevin: I'm not. Every time they do this I get worried, just like you are, but then I cool off and remember that they <em>always<em> get back together. And even _if_ by some reason they decide to go through with it, it's not your fault.

"_Thanks, that's very reassuring..._"

* * *

><p>Kenny went into his room and locked himself in it. He picked up his phone and started dialing Kyle's number. He wasn't entirely convinced of his brother's point of view, but he was trying to think of something else – specifically Kyle.<br>After a few seconds, Kyle answered. He sounded very worried, but Kenny told him not to worry and invited him to come over to his house, which Kyle did.  
>Kevin had left by the time Kyle arrived, so he just ran up the stairs into Kenny's room and gave him a long hug.<p>

Kyle: Don't run away ever again... I-We were worried about you. We thought-  
>Kenny: I'm fine... This isn't why I called you over.<br>Kyle: Why did you call me here then?  
>Kenny: ...Are you doing anything tomorrow night?<br>Kyle: No... Why?  
>Kenny: ...I saw this nice restaurant and... I was wondering if you'd like to go there... with me... Just the two of us.<br>Kyle: You mean like... a date?

Kenny smiled, gazed at the floor and blushed.

Kenny: ...Yeah, kinda like that.  
>Kyle: ...Sure... Listen, I wasn't supposed to come here. My mom is still a bit... upset that I stayed here for three days without telling her, so I-<br>Kenny: I know. Go on. I'll send you a text when I get everything set up.

Kyle gave Kenny another short kiss on the cheek and walked towards the bedroom door. However, when he got there, Kenny turned him around and gave him a big kiss on the lips. He wanted Kyle to know he was serious about this, that they could make this work. The boys smiled at each other and Kyle finally went home, which left Kenny to make preparations for his first date with Kyle.

* * *

><p>Alright, that's the end of it.<br>I have other stuff to do for a while, so I won't be posting any more stories for now. I have not drafted anything for the eleventh story, which means that even after I finish what I have to do I'll still have to come up with a plot.


End file.
